Maccabi Tel Aviv were eliminated from Israel State Cup play falling to Bnei Yehuda 1:0 at Teddy Stadium in Jerusalem. The Yellow & Blue controlled the pace of play and had many chances but couldn’t find the back of the goal as a Yuval Ashkenazi 25’ strike in the 77’ was the difference maker.
Head Coach Vladimir Ivic’s Starting XI included keeper Predrag Rajkovic, Eli Dasa, Sheran Yeini, Shahar Piven, Enric Saborit, Dor Peretz, Dan Glezer, Avi Rikan, Yonatan Cohen, Omer Atzili, Itay Shechter.
Available on the bench: Daniel Tenenbaum, Jair Amador, Eliran Atar, Eitan Tibi, Aron Schoenfeld, Ophir Davidzada, Maor Kandil.
First Half
Maccabi came out flying early as Cohen’s 2’ free kick from the left of the box was headed out by Yeini and two minutes later Rikan tried to send Shechter a through ball but he just missed the intended destination. Atzili’s 7’ long distance scorcher went over the bar and in the 10’ Peretz took the ball by himself 20 meters up the pitch and unleashed a screamer that was parried for a corner kick.
The Yellow & Blue came very close on the corner when Atzili sent the ball to Glezer but his attempt just came up short and ten minutes later Atzili’s chance was saved by Bnei Yehuda keeper Emilias Zubas. Peretz’s 25 meter blast went over the goal and ten minutes later Shay Konstantin’s shot was taken care of by Rajkovic.
Tchibota almost gave Bnei Yehuda the lead a minute later but Rajko was again up to the task. In the 40’ Shahar Piven was issued a yellow card and so was Dan Glezer in the 44’ as the match went into the break goalless.
Second Half
Atzili had a chance to score to begin the half as he went in on Zubas but the shot stopper once again came up big to stymie the Yellow & Blue. Yuval Ashkenazi’s opportunity was caught by Rajkovic in the 58’ and Rikan came close to scoring in the 66’ from 20 meters but his attempt just missed the target.
In the 72’ Ivic made a pair of substitutions as he brought on Eliran Atar and Aron Schoenfeld in favor of Atzili and Shechter. But in the 77’ Bnei Yehuda struck first off a 25’ meter blast by Ashkenazi as he beat the Maccabi keeper to take a 1:0 lead.
Maor Kandil was introduced for Dasa in the 87’ and a minute later Cohen just missed out on drawing even as Maccabi fell to Bnei Yehuda.
